Since I am dreading studying for my Russian Test that I have tomorrow, and since this blog is technically homework, I figured I would post about another Campaign that I felt was very effective in a non-traditional way.

And yes, I may be a sucker for cute men doing cute things, but at least I am being honest!

The Real Man Campaign launched June 2010 in London, right before the FIFA world cup event took place in South Africa. Statistically, domestic violence rises during major sporting events. The Campaign, which features many famous Soccer and Rugby players in tee-shirts claiming “I’m a Real Man”, is aimed at reducing that sad statistic. Cosmo magazine ran the photos (see below), and the movement has been growing bigger ever since.

I guess I have never really thought about domestic abuse, since I am lucky enough to have grown up in an extremely stable and open family. I have never experienced physical abuse from anyone, so when I read the statement on the front of the Real Man webpage that states “Globally, at least one in three women and girls is beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime” (a statement taken from the UN Commission on the Status of Women 2000), it was unnerving.

I believe that, though this campaign is not widely known in North America, it is gathering momentum. With the Shirts, Pledges and Pins available for purchase, and many a famous athlete backing this campaign, I have hope that domestic violence can be brought to society’s attention and completely erased from our culture.